SunPower's last sponsorship powered a snowmobile trek across Antarctica. The San Jose-based solar company, who's core technology was conceived by a Stanford University engineering class, has taken a more traditional approach to sponsorship this time around. The U.S. manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems has signed a three-year contract with the German soccer team, Bayer Leverkusen.

In addition to shirt sponsorship, SunPower will have a prominent presence at the BayArena in concourses, an executive box, perimeter boards and on all advertising.

"Bayer Leverkusen have established themselves as one of the top 5 German clubs over the past decade and are a force in the Champions League”, said Tom Werner, SunPower president and CEO. “SunPower shares this ambition. Therefore, we now want to provide first-rate performance together - in football and on the market."

"We are charting new territory with our international tender," Bayer managing director Wolfgang Holzhäuser said. "I am very satisfied with the result. Solar energy fits in perfectly with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Today, we want to celebrate the start of a very fruitful partnership."

The deal between Bayer Leverkusen and SunPower was negotiated by the team's sales agency, Sportfive.